24: Redemption Review

For 18 months, Jack Bauer has been on the sidelines in the 24 universe, and in real life. In that time, Jack Bauer has been searching for atonement for his various sins, and the sins of his last season. 24: Redemption serves as the first step on his path before he gets down to the real business of Season Seven. Though 24: Redemption gets Jack set on his journey, this two hour prequel takes a few detours along the way.

The setup for 24: Redemption has Jack serving as a missionary in a school headed by a former friend in Special Ops. But when the country is about to be overthrow by the vicious General Juma, Jack has to intervene when Juma's forces come to take the school's children to become soldiers.

Back in America, soon-to-be sworn in new President Allison Taylor wishes to take action, while a drug-addicted friend of her son stumbles onto the plans of an American businessman to finance the coup.

For 24: Redemption, it follows the 24 formula of taking real life issues- in this case African turmoil and child soldiers- and putting it through the 24 ringer. But in all of 24: Redemption's efforts to cram in the road ahead for Season Seven, it takes a while for the thrills to get started.

Season Six was so unpopular in part because Jack Bauer was lost in the shuffle so often. That problem recurs in 24: Redemption, as Jack should be on center stage, but too many subplots and setups keep him at arm's length. Perhaps this is a flaw of 24 trying to put its usual format in a two hour movie.

24: Redemptionultimately feels a bit bloated in this crammed two hour format. They will need to fix this if 24 ever gets a full length feature film.

The trademark 24 action still crackles, though most of it was given away in the promos. And for all the liberal calls to action in Africa and idealistic hopes for the new President, 24 still finds time to bash a weakling United Nations peacekeeper so it doesn't get too left-wing.

Kiefer Sutherland and Jack Bauer did avoid most of last season's backlash, since the problems of 24 Season Six were all around them. That is the same with 24: Redemption, as Sutherland's weary face, his trademark growls and trademark vicious movies are still in top form. 24: Redemption primarily takes off whenever Jack gets back into action, which is less often than usual.

Cherry Jones and Jon Voight fit right in as the new heroine and villain of the upcoming season, with Powers Boothe's semi-villainous ex-President Noah Daniels getting a fine sendoff.

24: Redemption leaves the series on a better note to start the new season than Season Six did, but there's still some ways to go to completely regain the fans' trust.

Sources

Buddy TV- "What We Learned from 24: Redemption" www.buddytv.com/articles/24/what-we-learned-from-24-redemp-24773.aspx